Israel will have to start thinking differently about its long-term security and existence, extrapolating from current indications about Secretary John Kerry’s nuclear negotiations with Iran’s Mohammad Javad Zarif this week in Montreux, Switzerland. Mindful of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s address to the joint meeting of Congress tomorrow, Kerry told a press conference in Geneva: “Any deal must close every potential pathway that...

Nerves are already frayed, tempers are already flaring, invectives are already flying over the ill-advised, ill-mannered, ill-natured and ill-timed decision by Boehner & Co. to unilaterally invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress next week without the courtesy of even mentioning it to the President. Joe Gandelman addresses some of the “consequences of Netanyahu’s action and its...

Final Update: After hours, a day, a week of shameful posturing and attempting to hold funding for the critical Department of Homeland Security hostage to get their way on immigration, a Republican controlled Congress finally and reluctantly came to its senses — albeit temporarily. The Washington Post: Congress passed a one-week stopgap funding measure late Friday to avert a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security...

Mr. Spock died in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. His death and funeral scenes are in the video above. Leonard Nimoy, after having lived long and prospered, died earlier today. Sadly, there is no Genesis Planet as in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. More at Liberal...

A quote from the philosopher George Santayana’s writing- “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”- is frequently used when someone is trying to make a point for or against war, or halting a nation’s aggressive behavior. One of the reasons for this is the ambiguity of the quote, as it can be interpreted to support different positions. Yet, there is truth in what Santayana wrote. National leaders tend to ignore...

It’s clear now that many nations realize they will soon have the true epitome of barbarians at their gate — if they don’t already have them there now. As ISIS continues to become the world’s largest producer of the world’s most viewed snuff films, it’s making powerful enemies of the decision-makers and decision-dictators who now can see what their fate will be if they are allowed to advance. The...

Update II: And here is the State Department’s take on the crumbling ceasefire: The United States is gravely concerned by the deteriorating situation in and around Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission confirms that attacks continue in this area as well as other locations, including Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk, and Donetsk city. The Government of Ukraine reports that its forces have been fired on 129 times in...

Man dies in shooting at Danish meeting with artist who drew Mohammad COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A civilian died and three police were wounded on Saturday when gunmen shot at a Copenhagen meeting attended by Lars Vilks, an artist who has received death threats since publishing images of the Prophet Mohammad. Danish police confirmed one civilian had been killed and said the two suspects had fled in a car… graphic via...

Just breaking today that Gov. John Kitzhaber will step down amid ongoing scandal Wednesday, Feb. 18, in a letter submitted to Secretary of State Kate Brown. “I am announcing today that I will resign as Governor of the State of Oregon,” he wrote in a statement released just after noon Friday. Brown will be sworn in as Oregon’s 37th governor, but the timing of that ceremony is uncertain. Kitzhaber’s resignation...

The Guardian and other news sources are reporting that the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany have reached a ceasefire deal on the Ukrainian conflict. The ceasefire agreement came after 17 hours of talks in Minsk, Belarus, and is to take effect “from midnight 15 February,” according to Russian president Vladimir Putin himself. The ceasefire agreement includes the withdrawal of heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine and the...

If Brian Williams was taken off his job for six months it would really be a de facto booting off the NBC News anchor slot. He’d be too much damaged goods to go back to that job. And suspended he is — without pay: It’s anchors away — for six months. NBC brass slapped anchorman Brian Williams with a lengthy six-month suspension Tuesday night. “The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately,” NBC News honcho...

Members of Germany’s anti-Islamization movement Pigeda have just launched a new one: European Patriots Against the Americanization of the West, aka/Pegada. The group, which is growing fast and held it’s first demonstration last month, calls the United States a ‘terrorist power,’ demands an end to U.S. spying and opposes the ‘colonialist’ Trans-Pacific Trade and Investment Partnership being...

Update: Statements by other officials at end of post. ~~ NBC reports that American ISIL hostage Kayla Mueller is dead. Her death has been confirmed by Kayla’s family. The family made the following statement, but did not elaborate on how it had learned of her death or the circumstances surrounding it, according to NBC: We are heartbroken to share that we’ve received confirmation that Kayla Jean Mueller, has lost her...

Did the Supreme Court just tip its hand on how it’s long-awaited ruling on gay marriage will come down? It sounds that way, as The Christian Science Monitor notes: The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to issue a stay of a federal judge’s ruling invalidating Alabama’s definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman, and requiring the state to begin allowing same-sex marriages Monday. Alabama thus becomes the 37th...

The Supreme Court of Canada has overturned a national ban on doctor-assisted suicides for those with debilitating and terminal illnesses. It was a unanimous decision by the nine member court, seven of them having been appointed by current Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The issue has gained attention in recent years as nations pursue their own policies accommodating these wishes. In addition, some U.S. states, Oregon, Washington,...

The European allies, with a reluctant White House in tow, are moving towards recognizing that Russia can no longer be dislodged from east Ukraine and the conflict must now be frozen even if that means a de facto political separation within the country. Germany’s Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have travelled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin. This is the first time Merkel, the most powerful European...

Although, as had been reported, he may not have personally flown one of the Jordanian fighter bombers, Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein is keeping his promise, made after the barbaric burning alive of one of his pilots, to deliver “merciless retribution” to the ISIL terrorists who committed the horrific crime. Fox News: Jordanian fighter pilots carried out devastating sorties against ISIS early Thursday, making good on...

Additional Updates at bottom of post Update to the “Final” Update: Albawaba News: The Jordanian government denied on Thursday that King Abdullah II would personally take part in airstrikes against Daesh [ISIS] militant group. . “Information disseminated over news and social media outlets about the king’s participation in airstrikes against [Daesh] is false,” government spokesman Mohamed al-Momni has said....

Pilot’s Execution Kept Secret For Weeks Jordan confirmed Tuesday that the Islamic State group executed captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh, and said he was killed a month ago on Jan. 3. Multiple sources, some of them inside the de-facto Islamic State headquarters in Syria, had already reported that the 26-year-old lieutenant had been burned to death weeks before the ISIS video’s...

Islamic State posts video of Japanese journalist’s execution IRBIL, Iraq — A short video apparently depicting the decapitation of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto was released late Saturday by the Islamic State group. The executioner appeared to be the same British-accented man shown killing at least five other hostages in previous videos. The video, which lasts about one minute, caps two weeks of drama over… Graphic via...